Radiator core structure



Aug. 20, 1935. N, s DIAMANT 2,011,756

RADIATOR CORE STRUCTURE Filed se t. 50, 1931 v IN ENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

1 Patented Aug. 20, 1935 PATE OFFICE.

RADIATOR cons STRUCTURE Nicholas "s. Diamant, Highland Park, Mich.Application Swanse 1931 Serial No. 566,071

ZiClaims. (01157 130) This invention relates to heat interchanger.

core structure of the type used in automobile radiators andparticularlyto improved spacer .plates for radiator cores.

5 In radiator cores of the cellular type it has become conventionalpractice to separate adjacent liquid passages by a pair of fluted spacerplates having adjacent convolutions contacting at alternate verticeswith eachotherand having their intermediate spaced vertices contactingwith the vertices of similar convolutions of the adjacent liquidpassages. This arrangement provides three columns of cells between eachpair of liquid courses, the cells of the outer and middle columns beingcalled liquid bound and air boundcells, respectively. i

The spacer plates are generally-provided with protuberances which extendinto the air and water bound cells for producing turbulence. Heretofore,it has been the practice to uniform- 1y distribute protuberances ofequal sizes throughout the depth'of thecells and to determinethe'amount' of turbulence by the size of the protuberances. Since theprotuberances reduce the air flow through the cells,'their size isnecessarily limited, for increasing of the size of the protuberancesbeyond a certain limit causes a reduction in the air flow through thecells which reduces the cooling of the core morethan the turbulence. r ir I have found that; the. turbulence producing means whichare located ator near the entrance tOrthELQGllS are tremendously more eifectivethanthe rearward protuberance, or other turbulence -producinglmeans. Theeffect ,of the rearward protuberance upon the turbulence of the air, isinsufiicient to compensate for the loss of cooling by the obstructionwhich these protuberances offer to the passage of air. By employing aconstruction at the entrance to the cells which produce substantiallyviolent turbulence, or by 'providing protuberances of substantiallyuniform size along only the forward portions of the spacer platessufficient turbulencejis produced without obstructing the air .fiowto anextent which causes a loss in cooling efiectgreater than-the amount thatthe cooling effect 'is augmented-by the turbulence producing means ofany one portion of the cells. "This may'also be accomplished by coolingisincreased by. the resulting increase in providing non-uniformprotuberanceswhich decrease in size from the front edges of the spacerplates to the rear edges thereof, or combining any of the aboveturbulence producing means in the same structure.

a The main objects of the invention are to produce initial airturbulence in the cells of a radiator core; to provide turbulenceproducing means which extend over only that portion of the walls of thecell'at which the cooling effect resulting 5 from turbulenceofthe 'airflow is greater than the reduction or cooling effect caused by theobstructionofiered to the air flow by the turbulence producing means;and to provide turbulence producing means on the walls of the 10 cellswhich progressively decrease in size from the front tothe rear endportions of the cells.

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide shoulders between theentrances to adjacent waterbound cells which serve as baffles and pro-'duce substantially violent initial turbulence as the air enters thecells. p illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in theaccompanyingdrawingyin which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary front elevation of a radiator core whichembodies my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig.3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a spacer "plate havinginitial turbulence producing means. v

Fig. 4 is a-fragmentary perspective view of a spacer plate whichembodies a modified form of the invention.

Inthe form shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the radiator core structure includesspaced liquid courses, or conduits I, each of which comprises a pairofconvoluted sheet metal plates 3 and 4 having inwardly offset marginalportions 5 and 6 solderedtogether. Between the sides of the conduits andthe offset marginal portions thereof are shoulders i and 8 which extendsubstantially normal to the sides of the conduits.

'- 'A pair of convoluted fins or spacer plates 9 ;are dispose d betweenthe conduits lwith alter- 40 nate' vertices I0 and II of theirconvolutions contacting with each other and with the vertices of"alternate convolutions of the conduits. This arrangement, as illustratedin Fig. 1, provides an interm ediate, vertical column of air bound cells[2 and spaced verticalcolumns of liquid bound cells l3.

Formed in thevertices of the convolutions of the spacer plates 9 whichcontact with the convolutions of the water courses I are aligningcreases I4 which extend from the front to the rear edges of the spacerplates. Alternate inner vertices of each spacer plate are provided withaligning grooves I5 in which the registering vertices of the otherspacer plate are received.

The marginal 'edgeportions [6 of the spacer plates 9 eXten-d outwardlybeyond the shoulders 8 of the water courses and they are substantiallyin the same planes as the corresponding intermediate portionsof thesides of the convolutions.

of the spacer plates. With this constructiomthe shoulders 8 are notcovered by the marginal portions 'of the spacer plates. amount ofheating or cooling surfacefper unit cell is slightly increased, whilethe amount of material remains unchanged; this slight increase, however,becomes very appreciable when multiplied by the large number of cellswhichlin. an average radiator may amount to 8,000 or, more. Further,these shoulderspwhich are 10- cated between adjacent liquid bound cellsI3 J of each column serve as bafiies to produce a comparatively violentinitial turbulence in :the 'air flow at the entrance to the cells.

Numerous other advantages are obtained by permitting th ,marginalportion l6 of the spacer plates to protrude-in a straight course beyondthe shoulders and in spaced relation to the offset-portions Sand 6 ofthe plates ,3 and4 of the liquid conduits. ;Wi th this constructiongthevertices of each spacer plate may extend in astraight course'from thefront to therear edges of the core structureand thus the spacer platesmay be conveniently formed-in production and shifted intoproperalignment with the liquid; conduits during assembly. However, with the Iconventional design in whichthe oifsetniarginakpori ign p the s a r'p ats rres te at iffitu is er nged nr odu o wh n v r themarginal portions atthe irontedge of the spacer plates are-notequal in; widt h to those atthe rear edge. This condition occurs in v production quite commonly andthe marginal por tions'ofth e spacer plates, if too long at the front,project beyond the marginal portions-5 and 61 of the water course whileat the rear edge the reverse condition, occurs. By eliminating theoffset mar-- ginal portions on the spacer plates, the dies'by whichthese plates are formed are simplified and ,rn'ad-e less 'expensive toproduce. Further, when the marginal portions of" the spacer plates. arechanged'and made to take a straight course, any unequal wearingof thedies which, form these marginal portions, with respect to the dies whichform the marginal portions Band S'of the liquid 'conduit plates producesno trouble in production.

Further, with the spacer platesihaving Offset gmarginal portionsit'becomes necessary ,to provide for a substantial clearance spacebetween the shoulder of the plates of the liqui-dcourse s and theshoulder of thewspace'r plates, in order to assure continuous contactbetween the intermediate por'tio'ns. of the, vertices platesandliquidconduits.

molten solder during core depending on the 1 number of cells, present atthe front andjre ar ,fa'cesII If these clearance spacers are reduced byforming the marginal portions of the spacer plates so asto'substantially contact withthe' corresponding portions of the verticesof the spacer plates, they tend to hold Therefore, the

of the spacer Thisclearance space obviously lbecomes filled with. solderwhen .the core. structure is dipped in its production. The presence ofsrrfiall.recess of this type in which solder accumulates involves alwastejof from two tofsix'pounds oflfilder per' the intermediateportions of the vertices of the spacer plates from contacting properlywith the registering vertices of the liquid conduits, and

the difficulties of aligning and preventing unequal wear of the dies areincreased. I

The spacer plates 9 have protuberances i9 and I 5 which extend outwardlyfrom opposite surfaces of the sides of the convolutions, respectively.These protuberances extend into the air bound I and liquid bound cellsand produce turbulence in theair therethrough. In theior nshown in Fig.3," the protuberances' are -provided on only the forward portions of thespacer plates so that as the air enters both the air bound and liquidexposed shdulders 8 and also by the protuberarices 29. The rearwardportions of the air bound p and liq'uidlbotindcells are unobstructed.Thus,

bound cells,in'itial turbulence is'produced by the turbulence isproduced depthwise in the cells in .a

mann'erwhich causes a' limited reduction in the air flow-throughthecells and which does not reduce the cooling of the coremorethan thecooling is increased by 'the; resulting increase in turbu- 'lence. v

Intheform shown in'Fig, 4, the. spacer plate 9' has convolutionssubstantiallyL'identical to those shown in but the protuberances l9, are

or non-uniform size I These protuberances :are distributed; throughoutsubstantiallyv the entire width of the spacer 9. and they decrease insize from the forward end portion of the spacer plate to the rearwardend portion thereof. With this construction, turbulence is producedthroughout the entire length o'f the cells, but the obstruction to thepassa e chair through the cells is decreased at the rearward portionsthereof'so as to prevent the obstruction offered by, the protuberancesfrom reducing the coolingefiect, more than the turbulence whichtheprdtuberahces create increases h o lin e fec c l v V Although butseveral specified embodiments of th s i veniiqnh -he be n s o n anescribedit; willbe understoodthat various changes yin th e size shapeand arrangement of parts'rnay b ma e wit out dep r m the it f my,invention and it iSgIlOt my; intention to limit the :scope otherthanbyhthe' terms of the appended lclaimspu. o I I :What I .claim .is:.7

volutedsheet metal, and series of protuberances extendingfromlLthelwallT-cof the. convolutions of ,said spacer plate anddecreasingin size progressively fromnthe front tothe rear edgeiportionsther'eof."

2.iIna radiator core structure; a water course- 1:;Aradiatoflcorespacerfplate-including con-

